Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner unveils universal childcare plans for two to four-year-olds

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner today signalled another spending commitment with plans for universal childcare for two to four-year-olds.

Labour is proposing free childcare for 30 hours a week no matter what a family earns, for 38 weeks of the year. Ms Rayner claimed this would save families £5,000 a year.

Extra hours of childcare would be subsidised based on income.

The proposals would cost £4.7 billion, with money going directly to nurseries and childcare providers, rather than parents having to apply and be reimbursed at a later date.

Addressing the party conference today, Ms Rayner said: “To give every child a fair chance to succeed, we need to give them the best possible start in life. For far too many that isn’t happening.

“Free, high quality, early years education, universally available for every two to four year old, giving every child a place and saving families more than £5,000 a year.”

She said progressive subsidies on costs beyond the free entitlement would ensure that childcare was “always affordable”.

Conservative policy is 15 hours a week universal free childcare, with 30 hours subject to eligibility.